The cycling industry is still dealing with the fallout from the post-COVID boom and bust. In this final episode of our industry series, Wade Wallace and Suvi Loponen put members’ questions to former bike shop owner Ellory Slater and Madison CEO Dominic Langan. They tackle why the industry has been so slow to recover, the loss of the middle market, the rise of Chinese brands, direct-to-consumer sales, warranty costs, mobile servicing, financing and the future of bike shops. Along the way, they question some of the assumptions shaping the industry and ask what brands and retailers need to do differently as the market settles.

Shift Cycling Culture has spent seven years working to make the cycling industry take sustainability seriously. Founders Lian van Leeuwen and Erik Bronsvoort, and executive director Sandra Brandt, join Suvi Loponen to talk about where Shift came from, why the industry so often stays silent on sustainability, what pro racing could do better, and what it would actually take to change things.

You can find out more about Shift’s work and sign up for their courses here.

Episode 4 of this special industry series looks ahead at the future of the cycling industry after years of volatility. We draw on dozens of interviews with distributors, brand leaders, retailers, and skeptics to explore where growth might come from, who won’t survive, and how pricing, Chinese brands, regulation, and community will reshape the landscape. It’s a candid, sometimes uncomfortable, but ultimately optimistic look at what’s next for the bike world.

Note that this episode is cut off part way through and the full audio is available to our Escape Collective members who fund our work. If you'd like to become a member, please go to https://escapecollective.com/overnightsuccess to receive a 50% discount on your membership for a limited time while this series is running.

Last but not least, we'll be doing a Q&A episode. Please submit your questions here: https://escapecollective.com/hello/